Top 5 Best RPGs of Q4 2018

Best RPGs of Q4 2018

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Assassin’s Creed Origins started introducing heavy RPG mechanics into the franchise, but with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, it feels like Ubisoft is doubling down.

Odyssey introduces the RPG tradition of moral choices, and it does a pretty good job of it. There are some seriously tough choices to make along the way, and those choices can severely alter the world and/or the story.

In fact, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is all about giving you choices. The choice to explore anywhere you want, the choice to approach the three main stories however you want, and the choice to take down enemies however you want.

Odyssey’s combat is much more robust than Origins, really leaning into the difference between character builds.

The world of Ancient Greece is stunningly gorgeous, and the great variation in color scheme is refreshing after the sands of Origins.

The writing in Odyssey is also top-notch, with consistently funny missions and situations. It also helps that Kassandra and Alexios are arguably the most likable Assassin’s Creed protagonists since Ezio.

Despite being just one year after Origins, Odyssey makes a strong case for the future of the series, and is easily one of the best of the entire franchise.

Best RPGs of Q4 2018

The Last Remnant Remastered

The early days of the Xbox 360 was, surprisingly, a hotbed for the JRPG genre. Tons of quality games released like Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and Tales of Vesperia. A few, however, got easily overlooked, and The Last Remnant was one of them.

The Last Remnant Remastered sports your typical angsty teenage hero, this time named Rush Sykes. The game takes place in a world where powerful “Remnants” have started wars and conflicts throughout history, and each one is bound to a specific person.

Despite its apparent cliches, The Last Remnant actually manages to be an exciting tale with a host of strong written characters.

What really shines in the game, however, is its unique systems and combat. Instead of single party members, The Last Remnant has you bring units of characters into battle that function together.

This creates massive battles with tens of characters at once, and each time a unit acts every character within that unit acts. Of course, the same is also true for the enemy.

Combat ends up being incredibly strategic, as you’ll need to carefully plan what to equip on each character and unit, where to send them in battle, and more. There are so many small pieces that add up to the larger thing.

Despite what The Last Remnant does well, the original game was riddled with bugs and graphical hitches, partially because of it being one of Square Enix’s first experiences with Unreal 3.

Luckily, the remaster irons out those issues entirely, and even adds a fast run option for getting around the field faster.

The Last Remnant Remastered is a great way to experience a JRPG that you, probably, overlooked last gen.

Best RPGs of Q4 2018

Ashen

Ashen drew quite a bit of attention back in 2015 when it was announced, mostly due to its striking art style. It’s been a long wait since then, but Ashen finally released on Xbox One, and it turns out it was worth the wait.

Ashen makes no attempt to hide its Dark Souls inspirations, and if you’re familiar with From Software’s iconic series, Ashen will fit like a glove.

Combat has the same methodical style right down to button mapping, and there’s a big emphasis on using timing and keyframes.

A few wrinkles are added onto the formula with Ashen’s open world and co-op. You can bring a friend or AI buddy along for the ride with you, letting you create more strategies for taking down enemies.

The muted cel-shaded aesthetic of Ashen also gives the game an entirely unique flavor, and its open world is gorgeous to behold, both before and after you save locations from the darkness that’s overtaken it.

If you’re a fan of the Souls-like you owe it to yourself to play Ashen, as it does a phenomenal job of adapting the core ideas of the genre while adding a few unique, interesting wrinkles on top.

Best RPGs of Q4 2018

Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee

Pokemon was one of the most awaited games once the Nintendo Switch was announced, and while Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee might not be a brand new gen, they’re wonderfully fun remakes of the classic Pokemon Yellow.

Beat for beat, the Let’s Go games follow the same story and outline of Yellow, but there are some big changes made to the overall Pokemon formula.

There are no more random battles, instead, you’re only catching Pokemon out in the wild, the same way you do in Pokemon GO.

Battles are now entirely relegated to trainers, but by and large there are more of them. Luckily, Let’s Go makes it easier to train your Pokemon as well, as each one in your party gets experience no matter what you do.

The art style of the Let’s Go games does a great job of adding even more detail to Kanto, and helps bolster the genuine feeling of joy you get while playing.

There are additional changes layered in, of course, like featuring Red, Blue, and Green as characters and a much more robust post-game.

Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee may be a bit simplified, but some of the changes made are genuinely great, and they’re yet another robust addition to the Switch’s growing library.

Best RPGs of Q4 2018

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales

The Witcher 3 set the world on fire when it released in 2015, experiencing success the series had never seen before.

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales has CD Projekt Red returning to the world of the Witcher once again, this time with a much different experience.

Thronebreaker is a single-player card-based RPG, with battles that take the form of Gwent matches.

The story follows Meve, Queen of Lyria and Rivia, as the Nilfgaard Empire invades and takes over her lands. Meve has to gather a ragtag group of bandits, knights, dwarves, and more in order to fight and take back her kingdom.

The writing and character development of Thronebreaker is absolutely top notch, on the same level as The Witcher 3. A strong score and voice acting back it up, and help add gravitas to the story.

However, it’s not just the story that’s engaging, as CD Projekt does a fantastic job at making combat unique, and applying unique mechanics across the entire experience.

One battle might have you sneaking into a keep, while another has you facing dwarves in a drinking battle. These all use Gwent mechanics, but do it in smart ways as to fit the theme.

Thronebreaker is a great addition to the Witcher universe, telling a gripping tale that provides even more lore and context to the world. There’s really no other game like it, and it’s one of the games from 2018 that you absolutely should not overlook.